I Will Always Watch Your Back
by HighLikeBirds
Summary: It's the 94th Hunger Games! Amongst the 24 unlucky children chosen are Jasmine Mellark and Quince Hunter. Two different lives that weren't meant to get tangled like this. Call it faith, call it the last brave act of a dying boy, but something brings them together and they won't be able to untangle themselves from each other until the bitter end. Pairing Katniss & Peetas daughter/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Quince Taro Hunter: Prologue**

When you know you've got nothing left to live for. When you know you won't live that long anyway. When you know there won't be anyone to cry for you. Would you give your own life to save others? Even if you have never even talked to them? Even if you know they might try to kill you? I know it sounds ridiculous. But that's my plan.

 **Chapter 1**

I awake with the screeching of the seagulls outside. Slowly, the sounds of the waves breaking on the shore and the wind rustling through the high grass of the dunes starts to make sense to me. I open my eyes and peek through the curtains outside. The sun is already shining strongly, despite the hour and all seems well. Nothing in the atmosphere gives away that today is the day that again twenty-four children across the country are chosen to be send to their most probable death. My guess is almost all of the children between the ages of twelve and eighteen have had a sleepless night. But not me. I haven't had such a good night sleep ever since… well I can't even actually remember. Ever since I made my mind up and my plan started to take shape it has felt like the weight of the world has lifted from my shoulders. Which could be considered as strange since I am basically sending myself to my grave.

But I'm at peace with the whole idea. I have been at peace with it ever since the moment the local doctor told me I would be lucky to make it to the next year. And since luck doesn't necessarily run in the family, I'd rather take destiny in my own hands.

I climb out of the hammock I slept in and put on my swimming trunks. Before I start with this suicide mission I have to say goodbye to my home and taste the salty waters of District Four that have always been such a comfort to me.

The sea is the only place in this messed up world that gives me any kind of tranquility. Here I can almost believe that the world is very different from the one I'm living in. Here, no one will try to convince me that it's 'just the way the world works and nothing can be done about it'. Here I don't have to think about the deaths of all the people I've loved and all the others too. Here I am free.

I run across the beach and dive from a rock into the water. The cold hits my chest hard, but I'm used to it, it feels like home. Like I can finally breathe again after holding my breath for centuries.

Far too soon I have to drag myself out of the water again. A thought shoots through my mind like lightning. I'm never going to see this ocean again. Ever. As the salt water is drying on my skin I can already feel the future suffocating me. I feel the waves touch my feet one last time, like a final goodbye. I close my eyes for just a second and then I turn around and walk away.

 **Sooooo, first chapter of a story I wrote a long time ago. As you may have noticed, English isn't my first language, but I try my best! I wrote this in Dutch first and now I'm translating so I'll see how I get on, and so will you :) The chapters are all quite short since they are written from two perspectives, but I might change that. Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Jasmine Mellark**

As silent as a fox I creep through the forest, my arrow aimed at the grey sky. The birds haven't taken notice of me yet and sit blissfully unaware on their branches.

'Jasmine!' a loud cracking sound of a branch breaking under the weight of a boot disrupts the silence of the forest and immediately all the birds take flight in a big frenzy of wings.

'Danna!' I exclaim irritated. 'Now they're all gone!'

'Sorry' she sighs in a small voice. She raises her hands and shows me two dead squirrels and two dead rabbits. 'Hmm, yeah those will do' I say after inspecting the animals.

'I'm going to the Hob, are you coming with?'

I put the arrow back in the quiver. 'Sure' I say as I walk towards the big bush next to the hollow tree and hide my bow and arrows there. Carefully I push them between the branches, deep enough that they are no longer visible. My irritation forgotten, Danna and I laugh on our way back to the fence that's supposed to be charged but never actually is. Until a few years ago, District 12 used to be under heavy surveillance every second of the day, but eventually all the unrest died down and District 12 went back to being mostly ignored. We climb through the hole in the fence and walk towards the Hob. Everywhere on the streets people are hectically running to and from places, making the last arrangements for the Reaping this afternoon.

'What would happen to us if one of us would be chosen today?' Danna asks out of the blue. I stop in my track and look at her. 'I don't want to think about it. If you were chosen, I might lose my best friend.'

'But I mean, would you watch?'

'Of course, we have to. But I wouldn't want to…' I reply, really not enjoying this conversation.

'I heard my father saying that your parents were especially worried about you this year, but I couldn't hear why exactly' Danna mumbles.

'I know' I sigh. I have noticed it too the last few days. I caught mom crying a few times in the last few weeks, even though she was clearly trying to hide it from me.

'I hate the games' Danna says very quietly. I nod while a shiver runs down my spine. 'We all do'.

'But the good thing is, because your parents are mentors again this year, you can stay at my place again!' Danna is suddenly happy and excited again and I smile with her, even though I can't shake the feeling of dread off of me. Not necessarily for my own faith, my name is only in the bowls the minimum amount of times, but for Danna's faith. Her name is in there at least ten times. Growing up as a child of a Victors couple, I've always been in a luxury position but almost everybody else in the District has at some point had to increase their changes at being chosen for life supplies such as food or clothes.

Like she can read my mind, Danna taps me reassuringly on my shoulder. 'Don't worry about it! My name is only in there eleven times! There are children whose names are in the bowls thirty times or more! I mean, the odds are _clearly_ in our favor here' she says it jokingly and I smile at her, but we both wouldn't dare to be sure of it.

* * *

 **AN: I think from now on I will put multiple of the old chapters in one chapter here, because as you can see they are very short. In that case, there will be changes in POV within chapters, but I hope you won't mind. I'd like to know what you think!**


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